Second Chabad Rabbi Arrested Over Book Calling For Murder Of Arab Civilians

The police's Unit of International Crime Investigations on Thursday detained rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, the president of the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar in connection to a book that condoned the killing of non-Jews.

Police detain second rabbi in connection to book condoning murder
Head of yeshiva in West Bank settlement of Yitzhar recommended book permitting murder of non-Jews who threaten Israel.
By Chaim Levinson • Ha'aretz

The police's Unit of International Crime Investigations on Thursday detained rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, the president of the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar in connection to a book that condoned the killing of non-Jews.

Ginsburg was detained for questioning days after the alleged author of the book, rabbi Yitzhak Shapira was arrested for inciting to violence. Shapira is also a rabbi at the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva.

The book, named "The King's Torah," deems the killing of non-Jews who threaten Israel as legal. "It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation," the book says, adding: "If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments - because we care about the commandments - there is nothing wrong with the murder."

Ginsburg, who recommended the book to his students, is a follower of Chabad. He has faced prosecution in the past for incitement to racism after having published a book insisting that there is no place for Arabs in the state of Israel. The charges were dropped after Ginsburg issued a clarification letter.

Ginsburg is a well known radical in his views on Israel's Arab public. The police declined to comment on the ongoing investigation against him.

The Od Yosef Chai yeshiva issued a letter on Thursday condemning the police, saying that in any other enlightened country it would be inconceivable to question such an admirable man as rabbi Ginsburg.

[Hat Tip: Seymour.]

Comments

[SJ]

I don't condone what this rabbi nutjob wrote or otherwise his way of thinking, but you think the Arabs in Israel aren't the exact same way? I want to hear about some Arabs being arrested for religious fundamentalism also.

[harold]

there is no place for Arabs in the state of Israel

In the spirit of Kumbaya, why not!

... but in the real world - Lets us say the less entaglement the less problems. Nuf said.

[What kind of goyishe name is Harold?]

There is a huge difference between condoning the murder of arabs (explicitly in self defense as noted in the book) and the calling for their murder as the slanted headline seems to suggest. Look, I hate everyone as much as the next guy here but I hate arabs even more.

[seymour]

There is a huge difference between condoning the murder of arabs (explicitly in self defense as noted in the book) and the calling for their murder as the slanted headline seems to suggest. Look, I hate everyone as much as the next guy here but I hate arabs even more.

Posted by: What kind of goyishe name is Harold? | July 29, 2010 at 01:22 PM

"It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation," the book says, adding: "If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments - because we care about the commandments - there is nothing wrong with the murder."

[jewishwhistleblower]

see: http://www.lukeford.net/archives/updates/060601.htm

Where I refer to a post by Yori Yanover posting on behalf of anonymous Rabbi Yitzchak of Jerusalem and Luke refers to the following quote by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsberg.

http://www.edah.org/backend/coldfusion/journal_images/ACF37B91.pdf
...
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsberg of Israel stated publicly in the New York media that “Jews have different DNA than gentiles, and that Jewish life is infinitely more valuable than gentile life.”
...

[Der Blau Onkel]

R. Seeman, formerly of YI toca hills and anthro. professor, did a piece relevant to Ginsburg et al (plenty of other source material on ginsburg);

http://www.utzedek.org/files/Violence,%20Ethics,%20and%20Honor%20(Seeman).pdf

Also here's a link I had mailed to me from National Council of Young Israel calling for Jews to save Od Yosef Chai;

http://www.youngisrael.org/content/odyosef.cfm

Better save that, they may take it down at some point considering recent news.

[Larry Cohler-Esses]

It's actually worse than jewishwhistleblower states. As the journalist who conducted the interview he cites, published in the April 26, 1996 issue of The New York Jewish Week, I well remember how Rabbi Ginsburgh's words shook me. They are, unfortunately, not on-line (pre-Internet for The Jewish Week). But with the hard copy in front of me, here's an excerpt:

"Regarded as one of the Lubavitch sect's leading authorities on Jewish mysticism, the St. Louis born rabbi, who also has a graduate degree in mathematics, speaks freely of the Jews' genetic-based spiritual superiority over non-Jews. It is a superiority that he asserts invests Jewish life with greater value in the eyes of Torah.

"'If you have two people drowning, a Jew and a non-Jew, the Torah says you save the Jewish life first,' Rabbi Ginsburgh told The Jewish Week. 'If every single cell in a Jewish body entails divinity, is a part of God, then every strand of DNA is a part of God. Therefore, something is special about Jewish DNA.'

"Later Rabbi Ginsburgh asked rhetorically, 'If a Jew needs a liver, can you take the liver of an innocent non-Jew passing by to save him? The Torah would probably permit that.'

"'Jewish life has infinite value,' he explained. 'There is something infinitely more holy and unique about Jewish life than non-Jewish life.'

"Notwithstanding this, Rabbi Ginsburgh hastened to add that nothing in this view undermines the holiness of non-Jewish lives.

"'Just the opposite,' he insisted. . . . 'Ultimately, the light they recognize from Jews will make their lives more valuable. Jewish are essentially a giver nation. And non-Jews are receivers.'

"Rabbi Ginsburgh is also an ardent sympathizer of Baruch Goldstein, the Brooklyn born physician who massacred 29 Palestinians at prayer in a Hebron mosque in February 1994. While stopping short of endorsing Goldstein's act outright, Rabbi Ginsburgh described him unambivalently as 'a Jew who gave up his life for his people.' In a recent book devoted to Goldstein he called the massacre 'an act of bravery whose source was divine grace.'"

BUT:
"....Even within Lubavitch, there are critics. Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the former administrator of the rebbe's secretariat and current head of the sect's international operations, termed Rabbi Ginsburgh's views, as related to him in a phone interview, 'totally outrageous.'"

[Reader]

I am sure he did not call for gratuitous killing. The Jewish spies who endanger the lives of millions get a house arrest, presumption of innocence and due process of law, but a rabbi discussing theoretical cases gets arrested.

[Reader]

Baruch Goldstein was locked in with the Arabs from the OUTSIDE. Ponder THAT.

[Reader]

When posting quotes, would it be possible to reference the actual publication instead of just "he said, she said"?

[chaim.]

it is too bad. ginsburg really is a fantastic scholar of hasidic thought. I wish this was not part of who he is also. more troubling, i wish he was not a major teacher with a wide scope of influence and, thus, in a position to spread his facism

[Michael David Kittell]

Ginsburg is a complete lunatic whose book Baruch Hagever about the Holy Tzaddik (sic) Baruch Goldstein should have landed him in and kept him in the slammer or deported to Crown Heights, knows no shame
Impossible to take seriously a Kabbalist who sells holy magic jewelry designed to "fix" the sin of Eve
Every psychopathology is found in Chabad

[assist]

The evidence for mystical Jewish DNA does not appear to be support by science:

See “Out of Africa”

Genetic Clusters

"...The Human Genome Project (2001, p. 812) states that "two random individuals from any one group are almost as different [genetically] as any two random individuals from the entire world."

[A. Nuran]

Assist, that doesn't matter to the Fundamentalist. Remember: Shoot the arrows, then draw the circles. The conclusion is never in doubt. Any contrary evidence is just Satan faking it to test our faith.

[rabbidw]

Has anyone heard of Freedom of Speech. Is anyone advocating the arrest of the Reverend Wright? Jesse Jackson? Sarah Palin?
The fact that Israel does not recognize cicil rights is a serious problem. It creates severe problems of arbitrary use of State Power. It is not fittinf for a supposed free country, for a supposed democracy. We should ALL be protesting because otherwise, when they come for US, there will be no one left to protest.

[Robert Wisler]

More fruits of the insane ramblings of Chabad and their wicked forefather 'Shneur Zalman of Liadi' and his equally disgusting descendents.

[Yoel Mechanic]

Rob.Wis. are you implying, in a subtle way, you think there is a problem with Chabad, and right from the beginning? Hey, you are among friends here, you can be more open about it. Why do you feel that way? Any rational reasons? (The more detailed the better)

[soso]

The paradox is that Ginsburg has founded a "beney noach" movement: so there are non-jews running after him and wanting to be a ben noach, while he is condoning their killing!!!

[the farshlepte krenk]

its not a paradox; a paradox entails contradiction - these people are just crazy

[jay]

@RabbiDW: sorry to burst your bubble, but in the US nowadays, advocating violence in certain circumstances will at the very least get you on a no-fly list. Ever hear of the Patriot Act? Even anti-corporate speech can be grounds for arrest and confinement without right of counsel for an indefinite term.

[jay]

On the topic of liver donation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tmLvzubP3I

[A E ANDERSON]

SHAPIRA, GINSBURGH: Lost in mysticism, these radical rabbis have lost sight of basic right and wrong

Jews are superior spiritually! We express this spiritual superiority through Torah, study, devotion and prayer and acts of lovingkindness, to become a light unto nations, etc. We believe Judaism to be superior, and that is why we profess it as our religion.

But we are only superior because we are more moral. We are only more moral because we are beneficiaries of God's gift of the Torah to us (and to those who join us). It is not a triumphalist superiority, but one of service. Just as a teacher is superior in knowledge to a student, we as teachers of mankind, light unto nations, bear this universal burden of bringing God's light to shine to the nations.

Once asked to distill the Torah into its key teaching, Hillel's immortal answer resounds through the ages: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn." (BT, Shabbat 31a)

Somewhere, Yitschak Ginsburgh and Yitschak Shapira glossed over the Golden Rule as they developed their Torah of Racist Supremacy and Gentile subjugation and subservience. Perhaps they got lost among the trees of gematrias and airy-fairy mystical speculations, and can't see the forrest of basic morality beyond. Somewhere, in all their learning, these erring clerics lost sight of basic right and wrong -- something we expect more from imams and ayatollahs than rabbis.

Needless to say, killing people, especially children, violates the very essence of the fundamental Golden Rule of Reciprocity, whether one's aim is population control or sourcing a new liver. Except, of course, when performed in the very limited instance of self-defence.

The plain fact is that Messrs. Shapira and Ginsburgh penned their incendiary tracts from their unique and visible positions as leaders of the West Bank settle movement, as faculty of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in Nablus (Shechem), a tinderbox of Palestinan nationalism and a focal point for observers of the Israel-Palestinian conflict from both near and afar. Thus, theirs was no ordinary explication of an arcane aspect of ancient Jewish law. To write about these matters whilst so situated is the equivalent of shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre.

These contemptuous individuals are highly educated and fully aware of the intended consequences of their actions. The utility of their respective educations -- Ginsburgh at the University of Chicago! -- is brought into question when we consider their goal: the restoration of a Davidic monarchy with a Sandhrdrin of rabbis ready to mete out lashings and the ancient death penalties (stoning, burning, beheading and strangulation) to violators of biblical laws to Jews and Gentiles alike.

The sad fact is that one cannot say with any certainty that the views of Shapira and Ginsburgh differ in significant degree from those of the late Rebbe Schneerson, who was also a hard liner on Jewish-Arab relations and a vocal opponent of even the smallest of territorial concessions for peace. In all likelihood, Ginsburgh and Shapira believe themselves to be doing their late rebbe's bidding. Schneerson, however, had the decency and tact to leave the messy moral details for the messiah to resolve.

[A. Nuran]

Rabbidw, try using that stiff lump of lard at the top of your spine for something besides a talking points tape recorder. Next thing we know you'll be droning "Clintongotablowjob. Clintongotablowjob. Awk! Polly wants a cracker."

Rev. Wright was just the first 2008 campaign scalp taken by the utterly vile Right Wing Lie Machine. Nothing more, nothing less. He's simply a resentful, foolish old man.

Your heroes here, on the other hand, are truly evil. They advocate killing babies who might grow up to do something bad. As we've seen above they consider all Gentiles to be worthless compared to any Jew. They think it's perfectly OK to murder non-Jews if they have something a Jew might want to steal from them.

Your defense of them makes you guilty of exactly the same evil. May God have mercy on your extra-special infinitely valuable Jewish soul.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Nice to see that some yidden have the intent and mindset to think in terms of doing to others what Hitler, Stalin, The Roman Catholic Church and so many others did to us.

This criminal needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law pei eser (X 10)

Shabos everybody...it's almost here.
Yahooooo!!

[rabbidw]

Nuran, you are an illiterate idiot.

[A. Nuran]

Nice one "rabbi".

The facts are against you.
Logic is against you.
Fundamental human decency recoils from you.

And all you can do is call me an idiot. Nice one. If that's what "learning" does to a man we'd be better off as illiterates. I'll grant smicha makes you superior. You are required to be illiterate in English, Hebrew, Yiddish and Aramaic. In which one of them does "genocidal murderer" sound the most holy?

[rabbidw]

You are an illiterate because you cannot understand what I said. You are an idiot because you cannot see the difference between speech and action, between an intellectual exploration of legal boundaries, and advocating a specific action.
Do you really want to call someone a "genocidal murderer" for writing a book? What would you then call Hitler and Eichman?
If you cannot use words with any meaning, just go waaahh in the corner. You are, in addition to being an illiterate idiot, you are also infintile.

[Shmarya]

Rabbidw –

This is not some intellectual enterprise.

This is a radical rabbi whose followers are made up of in a significant part violent racists.

He isn't preaching to a vacuum – he's preaching to a genocidal choir.

[Paul Freedman]

shameful, and so many rabid anti-Semites right here in the United States. what are they. chopped liver?

[A. Nuran]

DW, I won't call you "rabbi" because that implies learning and wisdom.

These two aren't just making gedanken experiments in isolation. They are part of a dangerous racist cult. Its members have already engaged in unprovoked attacks against innocents. Since the followers are fanatically Orthodox they believe an opinion from these two is the moral equivalent of a decree from God Himself.

And they have just given their mindless cultists Gods blessing to murder with a clear conscience. But they try to keep themselves at one level of plausible deniability. "We said it was alright to slaughter goyim. But we didn't actually tell our slaves to cut the throats of those particular sub-humans."

You are blinded by your own racism and desire to protect your fellow yidden from criticism. You lie to us and, I'll be charitable, most of all yourself about what this sort of thing means. It's a damned good argument for conversion to just about anything but Judaism.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

shameful, and so many rabid anti-Semites right here in the United States. what are they. chopped liver?

Posted by: Paul Freedman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The papers are full of yiddeleh criminals.
Ganef by day.
Daven by night.
These Hebraic-Judaic criminal elements are not invisable such as yours truly.
The parade their Yiddishkite UBER ALLES for every goy on earth too see.

I can't blame the anti-semities for feeling what they do. Instead of working and contributing to society "we" have become a bunch of scammers, cheater, embezzlers, child molesters and whoremiesters.

Goods like gold Rolexes and cars from Deutchaland has risen to Moshiach status.

[David]

I don't condone what this rabbi nutjob wrote or otherwise his way of thinking, but you think the Arabs in Israel aren't the exact same way? I want to hear about some Arabs being arrested for religious fundamentalism also.

Posted by: SJ | July 29, 2010 at 12:43 PM

True. And no one has ever accused me of being ann Arab lover. But we DO hold ourselves to a higher standard than others. I have no problems with killing Arabs inb legitimate self-defense and would even permit the collateral damage caused to innocent civilians when Israel attacks the enemy and innocent deaths occur because the Arab a-holes have breached the Geneva Conventions and all other moral codes by fighting from civlian areas.